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Wedding Anniversary Gifts

Thanks to Mahi Leather for sponsoring this post!

The summer is just about here which means a big date in my life is coming up! This July my husband and I will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary. This first year has been amazing, eventful, trying (life ain't always easy, amiright?), yet better than I ever could have imagined. As the date of our anniversary draws closer it's time to to start thinking about anniversary gifts!

Each year of marriage has a traditional gift to correspond with the year. Many people are familiar with the 20th china anniversary, 50th gold anniversary, or the 60th diamond anniversary, but today I want to focus on just the first three (baby steps... I'm not even sure what I'll be eating for lunch tomorrow so I definitely am not thinking about a 60th anniversary gift just yet!). This first year is paper, next year is cotton, and the third wedding anniversary gift is leather.

Year One: Paper

The gift of paper has a few symbolic meanings. It can be related to something that is thin and easily torn therefore needing care and attention (just like a fragile new marriage). It starts out blank but has room to fill in the blank space (just like life stories). It is simple, but there is room to grow.

Paper may not seem exciting at first, but I am honestly looking forward to this one! Throughout our entire relationship I have surprised my husband with handmade cards. Words mean a lot and having a physical reminder of how you were feeling in that specific moment is truly special. Personally I am a card saver; I have photo boxes of cards from my past and they are extremely valuable to me. I think of it this way- other gifts may be great, but by the time we reach our 50th or 60th anniversary, a handwritten card from our first anniversary will hold more meaning than nearly anything else (besides each other of course).

Year Two: Cotton

A cotton gift has a lot of possibilities! (Side note: I'm mostly saying this because I love clothes.) Beyond clothes, cotton gift ideas include a new luxurious cotton sheet set, towels, blankets (possibly even one personalized with a love note or the lyrics of your first dance), or new lingerie for a night in.

Cotton is both soft and strong, which is where a growing marriage should be- standing by each other with strength while having the softness of understanding. It is also flexible, symbolizing a marriage that can withstand the changes that occur during growth.

Year Three: Leather

The third anniversary, leather, has a lot of symbolism to it. Leather is all of the things that a marriage should be after three years. Leather is durable; with the correct care it can last for many years. It is both flexible and sturdy, it is soft but strong. Leather also provides protection. Throughout history it has been used as a covering to provide protection from the elements, just how a husband and wife should provide protection for each other from outside elements that may threaten to harm their marriage. As leather can act as a source of shelter, husband and wife after three years are shelter and comfort for each other.

A few different leather gift ideas include duffel bags, travel pouches, bag I.D. tags, passport covers (basically anything to go along with an anniversary trip!). One of my favorite places for leather goods is Mahi Leather. Not only are their leather gifts beautiful and customizable (I love anything that can be personalized!), they have a great mission- donating $1.50 from each purchase to FRANK water. FRANK water helps people gain access to clean water and has so far helped over 300,000 people!

(*This post is sponsored by Mahi Leather. Although the links are not affiliate links- I will not receive compensation if you click on the links- I am received a product compensation for mentioning them. As always, all opinions are my own!)

Comments

The beautiful setting pretty much took care of the event. Not to mention the fact that these guys were flexible in allowing us to really make the experience our own. We still receive compliments from our guests about the wedding venues, the service and the food.